Electric switch



1,494,221 may 1924 F. c. DE REAMER ELECTRIC SWITCH Q2 3 Went F'ranli De Re men Patented May 13, 1924.

UNITED STATES PA TENT OFFICE.

* i C. 31E REAMER, SCHENEOTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELEC- A CORPORATION QF NEW YORK.

if. f. @316 SWITCH.

isppiteatlon filed may 31, 1921. Serial No. M3862.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK C. Dn REAMER,

a citizen of the United States,residing at.

Schenectady, in the county of Schenectady,

- 6 State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Switches, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to electric W switches, and especially switches of the flush plate receptacle type, such as are used in house wiring. The object of the invention is to provide an improved switch which com prises few parts, all of a simple nature, and

15 which can be assembled with a minimum of labor whereby the switch can be'manufactureol at a low cost.

For a consideration of what I believe to be novel and my invention, attention is di- 20 rected to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the claims appended thereto.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a switch embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view thereof; Fig. 3 is a face view of one of the mounting blocks looking at its inner surface; Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 4-4,

. Fi 2; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the 30 switch movement; Fig. 6 is a section taken on line 6--6, Fig. 2, and Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a screw-receiving sleeve.

The mounting block for the switch comprises two parts or halves 10 and 11 which 35 are substantially alike and are made of suitable insulating material, the parts being held together by screws 12 which pass through openings 13 in part 11 and threads into sockets 14 embedded in part 10. Parts 40 10 and 11 are provided adjacent their inner I ends with transverse recesses 15 and 16, at the ends of which are grooves 15 and 16 which open into depressions 15 and 16. When parts 10 and 11 are assembled, one on 4 the other,recesses 15 and 16 form together a transversely extending chamber for housing the switch contacts, and grooves 15 and 16 form openings at the two ends of the chamber which connect with depressions 15 50 and 16". At the ends of recess 15 are pads 17 on which are mounted contacts 18 and 19. Contact 18 has an end 20 which lies in recess 16 and contact 19 has an end 21 which lies in recess 15, the ends 26 and 21 being opposite each other and being adapted to recome a switch blade between them. vContacts 18 and 19 are held in place by screws 22,. and these same screws serve-also to hold ears23 in which are binding screws 24. Ears 23 he in depressions 15 and 16 and have angular extensions which extend upwardly through the openings formed by grooves 15 and 16 and receive screws 22. Depressions 15 and 16 are of such depth that ears 23 lie within the confines of the mounting block, and the depressions are 0 on at the two ends of the block as indicate at 25 for the passage of the lead wires.

At the outer ends of parts 10 and 11 are recesses 26 and 27 which, when the parts are assembled, form a switch chamber open at its outer end. The switch chamber connects to the contact chamber through a passage 28, the walls of which present shoulders 29.

- The switch movement comprises a U- shaped frame 30 of triangular shape, the base being cut away at its central portion to form an opening 31 on opposite sides of which are angularly extending legs 32. On frame 30 are outturned flanges 33 adapted to lie in grooves 34 in parts 10 and 11 and adjacent opening 31 are outturned pivot lugs 35. 36 is an actuator pivoted in U-shaped frame 30 by means of projections 37 formed integral with its edges and journaled in openings 38 in frame 30. The actuator is limited in its movements by beads 39 struck inward from the sides of frame 30. The outer end of the actuator is provided with an eye 40 and the inner end is fixed in a transverse slot formed in a switch button 41. Pivoted on lugs 35 which project from opposite sides of frame 30 is a U-shaped switch blade 43 having an opening 44 in the bridge between its two legs through which projects an end of a pin 45, the other end having furcations which cooperate with eye 40. Surrounding pin 45 is a spring 46, one end of which engages the bridge of switch blade 43 and the other a collar 47 on pin 45. A switch movement of this general type is known and its operation is well understood. Referring particularly to Fig. 5, it will be noted that the switch movement is a selfcontained unit which may be separately assembled and handled without danger of coming apart.

The cover plate or face plate 49 1s fastened in place by screws 50 which thread 1nto sleeves 51 held between the two parts of the mounting block. One of these sleeves is shown in perspective in Fig. 7 and it will be noted that it has a rectangular-shaped collar at one end which lies in grooves 52 in the mounting block parts, the sleeve lying in depressions 53. Grooves 52 are triangular 1n shape, the apexes being at the center and sleeves 51 are put in position so a corner of the collar thereon will lie in the groove. This serves to firmly anchor the sleeves in place when the two mounting block parts are fastened together. The mounting blocks are suitably cut away as indicated at 55 and 56 to accommodate the switch movement.

In assembling the switch, the switch contacts 19 and 20 and the ears 23 are mounted 011 part 10, this then forming a self-contained unit. The switch movement, as shown in Fig. 5, is then laid in mounting block part 10 as shown in Fig. 2, the legs 32 lying against shoulders 29 and flange 33 lying in groove 34. Sleeves 51 are then laid in depressions 53 with their collars in grooves 52 after which mounting block part 11 is put in place on top of part 10 and the two parts fastened together by screws 12. The cover plate 49 is then fastened in place by screws 50.

When assembled, frame 30 is held stationary by the parts of the mounting block and the switch blade can be snapped on and off by switch button 41 in the ordinary manner, actuator 36 when moved by button 41 serving to put spring 46 under compression, which spring, as soon as the actuator moves beyond dead center, quickly snaps the switch blade from one position to the other.

It will be noted that the switch is of very simple structure comprising essentially four units, the two mounting block parts, the switch movement and the cover plate, and these can be assembled very quickly by relatively unskilled help. When assembled the switch movement is held firmly between the two mounting block parts, the engagement of legs 32 with shoulders 29 and with the walls which form passage 28 together with the engagement of flanges 33 with grooves 34 serving to hold frame 30 against movement in any direction.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have described the principle of operation of my invention, together wlth the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative and that neegaai the invention maybe carried out by other means.

lVhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In an electric switch, a pair of mounting blocks having walls so shaped that when assembled one on the other they form a transversely extending contact chamber, a switch chamber, and a )assagc. connecting the two chambers, spaced contacts mounted in the contact chamber, ears located outside the mounting blocks and connected to said contacts, binding posts carried by said ears, and a switch movement mounted in said switch chamber and having a switch blade which projects through said passage and is adapted to connect said contacts, said switch movement having a switch button operable from outside the mounting blocks.

2. In an electric switch, a pair of mounting blocks having walls so shaped that when assembled one on the other they form a transversely extending contact chamber, a switch chamber, and a passage connecting the two chambers, spaced contacts mounted in the contact chamber, ears located outside the mountin blocks and connected to said contacts, binding posts carried by said ears, a switch movement mounted in said switch chamber and having a switch blade which projects through said passage and is adapted to connect said contacts, said switch movement having a switch button operable from outside the mounting blocks, threaded members held between said mounting blocks, a cover plate, and screws which thread into said members to hold the cover plate in position.

3. In an electric switch, a pair of mounting blocks having walls so shaped that when assembled one on the other the form a transversely extending contact c amber, a switch chamber, and a passage connecting the two chambers, spaced contacts mounted in the contact chamber, ears located outside the mounting blocks and connected to said contacts, binding posts carried by said ears, a switch movement mounted in said switch chamber and havin a switch blade which projects through sai passage and is adapted to connect said contacts, said switch movement comprising a frame which has outturned flanges engaging recesses in the mounting blocks and parts which engage the walls of said passage, and screws which fasten the mounting blocks together whereby the switch movement is clamped between the mounting blocks.

4. In an electric switch, a pair of moulded mounting blocks of insulating material adapted to be clamped together and to form a unitary switch casing, recesses rovided in the opposin faces of said bloc registering when c amped together to form a frontally opening switch chamber, a plurality of rearwardly opening terminal chambers and an interior contact chamber, recesses and shoulders provided in said switch chamber to receive and hold a unitary switch movement, contact members in said contact chamber, terminal ears in said terminal chambers, and a passageway joining the switch chamber with the contact chamber and the contact chamber with each terminal chamber."

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 28th day of May, 1921.

FRANK 0. DE REAMER. 

